The Mini Cooper SE hatchback is the British brand's first-ever fully electric model that is proving popular, but it certainly won't be the last. For the first time, Mini has outlined plans to expand its current electric car range and boost its EV sales in China, which is the world's largest electric car market.
"Mini was always the answer to very special challenges relating to individual mobility. And the willingness to reinvent the status quo continues to shape the brand to this day," said Bernd Korber, Head of Mini. "Alongside electromobility, harnessing new target groups and sales markets will be crucially important for the future of Mini."
In the next few years, Mini's fully electric lineup will include the Mini 3-Door Hatch, a new crossover in the small-car segment, and a compact crossover model. While the dimensions of these new crossovers haven't been announced, it sounds like Mini could be cooking up a new Tesla Model Y rival.
Sold exclusively with a fully electric powertrain, Mini's new crossover will be sold alongside the Mini Countryman. The next-generation Mini Countryman will be available with combustion engines and an electrified drivetrain. Based on a new platform, Mini's new battery-electric cars will be produced in China from 2023 as part of a collaboration with China's Great Wall Motor. Mini says this partnership will enable the automaker to "meet the rising demand for emission-free driving both in China and in the other global markets."
Technical details for Mini's two new electric crossovers are being kept under wraps for now and it's also unclear when they will enter production.
Mini's current electric model, the Cooper SE hatchback, has an electric motor producing 181 horsepower and 199 lb-ft of torque, enabling the electric hatchback to hit 0-62 mph in 7.3 seconds and achieve a top speed of 93 mph. As battery technology continues to improve, we're hoping Mini's next EVs will offer better electric driving ranges than the Cooper SE, which is rated at just 110 miles in the US by the EPA.